David McCourt

Matthew Harrison will take over from Stephen Porter, who is due to retire in April, as chief executive of Great Places Housing Group.

Porter has been at the helm of the Manchester-based organisation for 21 years.

Harrison is currently Great Places' deputy chief executive, leading its development and Plumlife teams.

Harrison said: "We already carry out so much work across the group from supporting vulnerable people, to running our own repairs team, managing thousands of properties and developing hundreds of fantastic homes. Now it's my job to build upon this and achieve even more.

"I am determined that Great Places will continue to make a huge difference to the lives of people in the communities in which we work."

Ted Stott, chairman of Great Places Housing Group, said: "We had candidates of the highest calibre but Matthew's qualities and passion shone through. He is the right person to lead us in these challenging times and build on the excellent work of Stephen Porter."

Great Places is one of the largest housing associations in the north with six regional offices and over 16,000 homes in its portfolio.